Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Academy award and Emmy Award winning film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has made us proud yet again. On Tuesday, she was given the prestigious Crystal Award in recognition for her efforts in promoting human rights and women’s issues through her films at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

Staying true to her sense of style and love for Pakistani designers, Obaid-Chinoy yet again wore clothes and accessories from local designers. The beautiful Swarovski Pakistani flag-themed clutch she carried is a hand designed piece made by Samia and Azmay Shahzada, and her stunning gold jumpsuit and sherwani coat paired were from Nida Azwer’s Atelier creation. At other ceremonies and international red carpet events, she has worn Bunto Kazmi, Maheen Karim, Fashion ComPassion and Mahin Hussain.

As she tweeted her excitement about being at the ceremony, she toldThe Express Tribune: “The crystal award is special because this is the first time a Pakistani is being honoured at the World Economic Forum. I feel proud to represent my country and showcase the fact that educated empowered women are making strides in Pakistan.”

She added that she feels humbled by the opportunity to represent Pakistan, and that the award embodies the sentiments that guide her work as a film-maker. “I firmly believe that the pursuit of art and film can change the world by promoting dialogue and acting as a catalyst for change,” she said.

The Crystal Award — introduced by the World Economic Forum in 1995 — honours personalities who are committed to improving the state of the world and are, hence, regarded as both cultural leaders and global citizens.

Apart from Sharmeen, awards were also presented for the role of arts in the society to big names like actor-model Charlize Theron for her Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, and artist Vik Muniz for his membership in the Global Agenda Council.

The award pays tribute to the decisive role culture and art play in the creation of global understanding and peace and is presented every year at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

At the end, Obaid-Chinoy said, “[On Tuesday], I spoke about the power of film in changing mindsets of Pakistani people and the fact that documentaries can be used to spread the word at the grassroots level — people who put their lives at risk every day to bring change in their communities.”